Oil-press



(No Model.) v

G.. M.` VENABLB.

0i1,P'r ess. No. 236,283. Patented Jan. 4, 1881.

` Unire STATES GILBERT M. VENABLE, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

OIL-PRESAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersvPatent No. 236,283, dated January 4, 1881.

Application filed J une 7, 1880.

Vfie-ation.

The invention relates to presses for extract- 1ng oil from cotton-seed, linseed, &c.,in which the seed, after being filled into bags and placed between porous or perforated mats, is intro-V duced into boxes in which slide suitable followers, and subjected to pressure either4 by screw or hydraulic power, whereby the oil is forced out of the seed, which is left iu the form of a solid cake or mat.

The press I am about to describe is constructed with the ordinary bed, standards, and top, and with the hydraulic cylinder cast in one piece with the bed, and having its ram or plunger acting directly upon the lowermost platen of a tier of boxes and followers adapted to receive the mats and bags containing the seed to be pressed, to which boxes and mats my invention more particularly relates.

The sides, tops, and bottoms of the boxes have grooves, which grooves serve to conduct the oil to a channel surrounding the base of the follower, from which it descends to a receptacle at the base ot' the press. Each follower 'is secured to the box below it, so as to form one piece with it, except the topbox, which may be secured to a spring attached to the top ofthe press, and the bottom follower, which rests upon the platen against which the ram or plunger presses. Rubber springs or cushions may also be placed in the boxes, in order to equalize the pressure on the mats. A metallic lining having notches or indentations in its upper edge is placed around the inner sides of the boxes, through which notches the oil flows to the side grooves. On the delivery end of each follower is secured a wiper ot' leather, rubber, or other suitable material, which'serves to wipe oft' the oil from the mats as they are drawn out.

The mats are made of two plates of sheet metal, Celluloid, vulcanized india-rubber, or other suitable material, connected together at one end by a spring of similar material, and are perforated with numerous holes counter- (No model.)

sunk on the inner side of the plate and entering rounded grooves in the outer side, thus making an effective draining-mat without any sharp angles liable to cut the bags or sacks. These mats may also have grooves and holes around their edges for the purpose ot' attaching hair-cloth or other tibrous material to the inside of said mats. v

When hydraulic power is used I prefer to insert an india-rubber, steel, or other suitable spring between the ram or plunger and the lower platen, which will act as an elastic follower to maintain a constant pressure upon the platen.

In order thatlny invention may be more fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the center of the press. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a box and follower, the lining of the former being shown detached. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my improved mat or sack holder.

A represents a suitable base, having hydraulic cylinder B cast in it, and supportingstandards C, towhich is secured the top D.

E is the ram or plunger of the press, in the upper end of which is seated an india-rubber, steel, or other suitable spring, F.

G G represent the press-boxes, the uppermost of which, G', may be permanently secured to the top D, as shown, while the other ones, G, are secured to the followers H immediately above them. The lowermost follower rests upon the platen I', against which the ram E presses. The tops h ot' these followers project slightly, as shown at h', so as to leave a narrow space between the body h" of the follower and the sides g of the press-boxes G G. Surrounding the base of each follower is a channel, J, for collecting the oil and conducting it to passages j, from the lowermost of which it may be led 0E into a receptacle. The concave projections K, sliding against thepstandards O, serve to prevent lateral displacement of the press-boxes and followers. The sides g of the boxes G G have vertical grooves L, while the interior t'aces,g, of the boxes, as well as the tops h of the followers, have longitudinal and transverse, grooves M M', these grooves serving as IOC ducts for the oil. The sides g of the boxes are lined with plates N, of sheet metalor other suitable material, having indeutations n in their upper edges, so as to allow passage-way for box.

O O represent my improved plates or mats, made of steel, vulcanized rubber, cellnloid, or other similar elastic and flexible materiahaiid between which the bags or sacks P, containing the seed to be pressed,are placed. These plates are connected at one end by a tlexible hinge, Q, made of leather, india-rubber, celluloid, steel, or other suitable material, and secured to the plates by rivets, cord, or equivalent means. The plates are made with rounded grooves R on their outer sides, in line with which are numerous perforations S, which pass from said grooves to the inner side ofthe pla-te, where they are countersunk or beveled outward, as show u atr t, so as to readily conductthe oil to the grooves M M in the pressboxes and followers, and at the same time, by virtue ot' their Haring shape, present no sharp angles or cutting-edges to the bag or sack I. A single line of perforations, u, around the edge of the plates, in line with groove U, are provided for the purpose of sewing onto the plates a hair-cloth or similar porous lining, V, which is preferably made somewhat thicker at its edges than the middle, so as to more snugly tit the seed-sack I?. The cord or thread lies in the groove U,and consequently' does not project above the surface of the plate.

A strip, W, of leather, rubber, or other suitable material, secured to one end ofthe followers and projecting a slight distance above them, acts as a wiper to remove the oil from the lower plate of the mat as it is drawn from the press, and also to catch the oil that would otherwise be spurted from the press when in action.

In order to equalize the pressure as much as possible, an elastic cushion or spring, X, is placed between the uppermost press-box, G, and the top D ofthe press.

Pads or cushions Y, ofindia-rubber or similar elastic material, may also be placed inside the press-box, so as to present a somewhat yielding surface to the mats, so that no part of the bag ot' seed can escape being pressed.

I am aware that oil-press mats have been constructed of' sheet met-a1 having corrugations on both the inner and outer side, commui'lcating with each other through pert'orations; but such I do not claim, as I consider vthat the pertorations flaring at their inner the oil to the grooves L in the sides ot' the ends are less liable to canse the rupture of the bag, and at the same time do not necessitate such a weak construction.

I am also aware that it is not new to couuect the two plates otan oil-press mat together; but such I do not claim, as my improvement consists in making the hinge ot steel or other springy material, so as to cause the plates to press upon the bag and hold it in position.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. lThe oil-press having the spring F seated in the ram or plunger ot' the hydraulic press and pressing` against the lowermost follower, H, for the purpose set forth.

2. lhe combination, in an oil-press, ofthe pressboxes G G, having grooves H, and followers H, having grooves M', the plates or mats O O', perforated as shown, and having grooves R on their outer sides, for the purpose set t'orth.

3. The plates or mats 0 O', having perforations S, opening into the grooves It on the outside and countersunk or beveled on the inside, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with the spring-cushions Y, the mats or plates O O', made ot'sheet-steel, vulcanized rubber, celluloid, or other elastic and flexible material, so as to presenty a somewhat yielding surface to the seed-bags I), t'or the purpose set forth.

5. The press-boxes G G', having vertical grooves L, in combination with the removable lining N, having notches or indentations n in its upper edge, substantially as and t'or the purpose set t'orth.

(i. In an oil-press, the elastic cushion X, or equivalent, between the uppermost press-box, G', and the top D ofthe press.

7. The wiper l/V, ot' leather, rubber, or equivalent material, attached to one end ofthe followers and projecting slightly above the saine, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GILBERT M. VENABLE.

Vitnesses:

GEO. W. MILLER, L. B. MGFARLAND. 

